Electrical connector



June 19, 1956 Filed Dec. 30, 1955 c. H. BISSELL ET AL 2,751,567

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

June 19, 1956 c, H. BISSELL ET AL 2,751,567

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed De c. 30, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f 3a J4- INVE E5 MM+W%;&

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Carl H. Bissell and Willard E. Parish, Syracuse, N. Y., assignors to Grouse-Hinds Company, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 30, 1953, Serial No. 401,112

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-70) This invention relates 'to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a connector having plug and receptacle members of the explosion proof type.

The invention has as an object an electrical connector including plug and receptacle members having complemental contacts carried by said members, one of the contacts carried by one of the members being movable axially for actuating a switch into on and off positions, the axial movement of said contact being effected by engagement with the complemental contact carried by the other member of the connector.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the exposed end of the receptacle member of the connector embodying our invention, the receptacle being mounted in a switch housing.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22, Figure l, and including the plug initially moved into the receptacle.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the receptacle and switch actuating contact illustrating the arrangement with the plug initially positioned in the receptacle.

Figure 4 is a view, similar to Figure 3, with the plug moved further into the receptacle.

Figure 5 is a view taken on line 5-5, Figure 2.

The receptacle member of the connector consists of a cylindrical body preferably formed of insulating material, and having its inner portion threaded externally for mounting in a cover member 11 attached to the open side of a switch box 12. As shown in Figure 2, the cover 11 and switch box 12 are formed with overlapping radial flanges 13, 14, which are secured together and to an annular member 15, as by screws 16. The member 15 is threadedly mounted into a conduit outlet box 17, provided with internally threaded hub portions 18 for attachment to a conduit system 19. A switch 20 is mounted in the switch box 12, as by a bracket 21.

The plug member of the connector consists of a cylindrical portion 24 in which there is mounted a contact carrying block 25. The plug member and the receptacle member are in general of conventional construction, each having contacts complemental with contacts carried by the other member.

In the construction shown, the receptacle 10 is provided with contacts 26, and the plug with complemental contacts 27. The receptacle is also prowded with a contact 30 which is slidably mounted in the receptacle for axial movement. Preferably, the contact 30 is slidably mounted in a metal sleeve 31 formed at its inner end with a flange 32 overlying a metallic strap 33, a portion of which is secured to the cover member 11, as by a screw 34. The sleeve 31 is pressed or moulded into the 2,751,567 Patented June 19, 1956 receptacle body 10 so as to be fixedly restrained from axial movement relatively thereto. The outer end portion 38 of the contact 30 is of reduced diameter and is threaded externally. The inner end of the contact is provided with a disk or pad 39 positioned in registration with the actuating member 40 of the switch 20 whereby, upon inward axial movement of the contact 30, the disk 39 engages the member 40 and actuates the switch to the on position. The contact 30 is yieldingly urged outwardly by a spring 42 engaging the disk 39 and being fixedly secured to the switch housing by the screw 34.

The plug 24 is provided with a contact complemental to the receptacle contact 30. This plug contact is designated at 44, Figures 2, 3 and 4 and, like the contacts 27, is fixedly mounted in the block 25. The outer end portion of the contact 44 is formed with an annular series of resilient contractile fingers 46, there being in this instance four of such fingers, and the inner surfaces of the fingers are threaded, as more clearly shown in Figure 3, the fingers being provided with a thread complemental to the thread on the reduced portion 38 of the contact 30.

When the plug 24 is initially inserted in the receptacle, the fingers 46 are positioned radially outwardly from the reduced portion 38 of the contact 30, as shown in Figure 3. The end portions of the fingers 46 are of conical formation and as the plug is moved further into the receptacle, the fingers 46 are cammed inwardly by sleeve 31 into interlocking engagement with the reduced portion 38, whereby the contact 44 becomes fixedly interlocked with the contact 30. Continued movement of the plug in the receptacle, see Figure 4, accordingly elfects inward axial movement of the contact 39, moving it into engagement with the switch actuating stem 40, moving the switch to the on position. The contacts 26, 27 are complemental in length to the contacts 30, 44. Accordingly, the contacts 26, 27 are fully engaged previous to actuation of the switch 20 into the on position by movement of the contact 30 and, by the same token, upon withdrawal of the plug from the receptacle, the switch is actuated to the OE position prior to the separation of the contacts 26, 27.

Due to the fact the resilient fingers 46 are maintained in contracted position by the sleeve 31, withdrawal of the plug from the receptacle eflects positive axial outward movement of the contact 30, and the contact is yieldingly maintained in this outward position for proper engagement by the fingers of the contact 44 when the plug is initially inserted in the receptacle.

This arrangement provides for a positive switch actuating mechanism embodied in the connector without modifying the general construction thereof, or increasing its dimensions. It further provides a particularly economical switch actuating structure and permits the plug to be used with other conventionally constructed receptacles without modification.

What we claim is:

1. An electrical connector including plug and receptacle members, a contact mounted for axial movement in the receptacle, means yu'eldingly opposing such axial movement, a coacting contact carired by the plug, one of said contacts being provided at its outer end with a series of contractile fingers movable radially into and out of interlocking engagement with said other contact, and means carried by the receptacle and operable upon initial axial movement of the plug into the receptacle to contract said fingers in engagement with said other contact.

2. An electrical connector including plug and receptacle members, a contact movable axially in the receptacle, means yieldingly resisting such axial movement, a coacting contact carried by the plug and being provided at its outer end with a plurality of resilient fingers movable radially into and out of interlocking engagement with the receptacle contact, and means carried by the screw threads, said other contact being threaded ,CX

.ternally at its outer end portion, means carried by the receptacle and operable upon movement'of the plug into the receptacle to contract said fingersin engagement-with the threaded portion of said-othercontact. g

4. An electrical connector including plug and recep- 'tacle members, a sleeve fixedly mounted 'in the receptacle, a-contact 'slidably mounted in said sleeve, means yieldingly acting, against the inner end of said contact to position the same with the outer end portion thereof outwardly from the outer end of "said sleeve, a contact fixedly mounted in the plug for coacting with said receptacle contact, said plug contact being formed at its outer end with an annular series of resilient fingers for engaging the outer end portion of said receptacle contact to move the same axially inwardly upon movement of the plug into the receptacle, and said sleeve being cooperable With i fingers'upon such movement to contract said fingers into interlocking engagement with the receptacle contact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 411,153 1,342,819 Lake June 8, 1920 2,269,314 MacDonald Jan. 6, 1942 2,: QJ2s2 Laft'erty Sept. 17, 1889 

